Astros shortstop Carlos Correa announced today at a team benefit that he underwent surgery to repair a deviated septum last Monday. The nasal affliction, said the 24-year-old, was inhibiting his ability to breathe normally, especially when running the bases. Arguably the centerpiece of the team’s 2017 championship run, the former #1 overall pick slumped to a career-worst .239/.323/.405 games last season. He especially struggled in the season’s second half, posting a putrid 45 wRC+ and 24% hard contact rate over 133 PA following a return from the DL after a bout of lower back soreness. During multiple gatherings with the reporters on a crusty Minute Maid Park surface, the former Rookie of the Year made no effort to draw a nexus between the respiratory issues and his poor performance, but did note that he doesn’t expect to have surgery to address the lower-back ailment, with the Houston Chronicle’s Brian T. Smith tweeting that the shortstop is “doing well” right now.
In other news from around the division . . .
- On the heels of a wildly successful 2018 season, the A’s have announced changes to the team’s player development program, reports The Athletic’s Melissa Lockard. The club, apparently, is piggybacking on recent trends in the rookie-level Arizona League, where select teams – namely, the Padres, Indians, Cubs, and Giants – have added a second ’affiliate’ to compete in the league. In this case, it seems the move is an effort to acclimate newly-signed international players to the American way of life (and professional baseball in the country) at a far more rapid rate than in the past. Eddie Menchaca, who managed the lone AZL affiliate for the club last year, will reprise his role as manager for one of the teams, in addition to fulfilling his newly-appointed duties as Latin American player development supervisor. The club’s farm, responsible in no small part for the team’s periodic, oft-unforeseen success over the last two decades, is ranked middle-of-the-pack in Baseball America’s latest update.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News cites a source “close” to Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre in declaring that a decision on the 39-year-old’s future could come “within a week or so.” Beltre, of course, is deeply contemplating retirement, with a recent report by FanCred’s Jon Heyman noting that “the belief” is that the 21-year-veteran is leaning in that direction. If he is to return, Beltre seems to have given conflicting directives in the way of his future, with Grant noting that the Ranger dignitary “would like” to return to Texas but is most interested in playing for a contending team, of which category the 2019 Rangers are decidedly unlikely to fall into. The article, which details possible positional alignments for the 2019 club, in addition to revelatory quotes from GM Jon Daniels, is well worth a full read for Ranger fans of all sorts.
How bout linking this article to the Rangers news feed since it concerns one of their prime players? Thanks.
Sorry bud, Beltre is not currently on the Rangers.
You clearly still saw it so quit complaining.. oh wait it’s you and all you do is complain all day on these threads.
Not meant to be snarky, but a friendly tip: Don’t double-space after periods. It messes up the formatting of the posts.
First off, I think it’s awesome when a player is loyal to his team. It’s rare to see one player stick to one team anymore. While that’s not entirely the case with Beltre, he has spent the last 8 years with Texas and he seems to have a genuine love for playing as a Ranger.
Having said that, the Astros are looking to add an impact bat, have a wide open DH spot, have a versatile infield and a great clubhouse by all reports. If AB wants to play for a contender, the Astros could use that veteran presence they apparently coveted when they had Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann in 2017.
For the record, Astros fan or not, Adrian Beltre has got to be my favorite personality in baseball. You can’t not like the guy!
Just don’t touch his hair.
I’m an Astros fan and can’t stand anything about the Arlington rangers, but Adrian Beltre is a great player and I liked watching him play. Not sure about signing him bc of that reoccurring calf injury
Which contending teams have a roster spot for him, though, and which of those that do would offer him a starting job? I can’t see Beltre agreeing to play one more year if it means being relegated to a bench role.
Teams that come to mind off the top of my head: Indians (assuming they don’t blow it up and trade their aces), Brewers, Astros, Mariners (also a candidate to blow it up and start over), and maybe the A’s?
Beltre has history with Seattle, he’s great friends with Felix, but I don’t see them being good enough to seriously contend next year even if they don’t trade Paxton, and adding Beltre won’t put them over the top. The A’s are destined to be a Wild Card team again and Beltre doesn’t really help get them past that especially if it means playing the Yankees again. Houston is probably the best fit, but do they want to pay him the kind of money he deserves only to have him DH with Bregman entrenched at 3rd?
I guess you could throw Atlanta into the mix as a contending team, but they’re only contenders because the NL Least is pitifully bad. The Mets need someone to play 3rd every day, but that only makes sense if they get Machado and hire a real pitching coach.
I’m guessing Beltre retires unless there’s an offer from like Boston or something to be their DH.
Indians are trying to dump EE’s salary.
How much would Beltre expect in salary?
He made $18 million last season, according to Sportrac. His production fell off a bit, but I’m guessing he’d still cost $12-$14 million depending on the market. He also played more games in 2018 than in 2017, so he’s healthy.
Indians are trying to move on from EE already? Where does he end up, realistically? The Yankees are rumored to be trying to swing a trade for Kluber or Carrasco and also have a need at 1B. Do they agree to take on Edwin’s albatross of a contract in exchange for surrendering lesser prospects?
As a Yankees fan, I’m not sure I like that idea even if it means holding onto our best prospects. I’d almost rather sell the farm to get Kluber AND Carrasco, or Paxton if the M’s blow it up, than take on another monster contract attached to an aging all-or-nothing slugger. We went through that song-and-dance with A-Rod and we’re finally free of that mess, why get right back into it with a guy who’s half as productive and as much of a liability defensively for the sake of holding onto prospects?
Not when there’s a generational talent in Bryce Harper on the market and the money going to EE could easily be thrown at Harper. Not that Edwin money gets close to Harper, but it’s money saved to spend elsewhere on a better player in his prime.
If the Yankees got kluber for lesser prospects by taking on a one year salary that seems like a huge get especially EE in the al east again in that lineup.
You’re the Yankees spending money on a one year deal is not a big deal if it keeps your farm system intact. That would be more like acquiring Holliday.
The foolish thing would be to get A-Rod and companies huge salary off your books and in back to back off-season acquire 2 of the 3 largest contracts in mlb history.
Where would he play on the A’s?
We have a better DH and 3B already.
A contender really should pick this guy up.
Nah, he couldn’t hit in that hitters paradise in Texas at age 39 – just look at his stat sheet, he’s done – unless he wants to play for min wage, which he won’t.
He may not be the elite player he once was, but Beltre could still give a team solid production at 3B.
Yankees could benefit and move Andujar to 1st where he may be better suited.
Red Sox could benefit and send Devers down for more seasoning
Braves seem to have a need at 3rd and could give Riley another year of development.
Rockies could trade Arrenado, use Beltre as a stop gap for a guy like Rogers or Hampson or Nevin or Welker.
Indians could use a veteran presence at 3B as well and fill other needs by dealing Kluber and/or Carrasco.
None of these really make sense, though, from team standpoints. The Rockies just made the playoffs and went further than anyone expected, Arrenado was a huge part of that and trading him makes them worse, not better, even if he gets them an ace (Kluber?). The only way Colorado contends again next year is by adding, not subtracting.
Boston just won the WS with Devers entrenched at third, I doubt they’re going to send him down and weaken their offense in favor of a guy who is rapidly approaching 40 and will cost a lot more in terms of dollars that could be spent elsewhere.
I mentioned Atlanta as something of a dark horse candidate for Beltre, but he wants to play for a contender and I don’t see the Braves as a legitimate contender as much as they are the product of being the best bad team in a division full of bad teams, which will only get worse once Harper’s exit from Washington is official. The Braves as constructed aren’t getting out of the first round, spending a $12-$14 million on a season of Beltre doesn’t help their cause as much as dedicating that money to a pitcher or younger, more productive 3B would.
The Indians make sense if they hold and give the current core another year to win. As it stands, there’s enough talk of Cleveland blowing it up and starting over with trades of Kluber, Carrasco and EE. Adding Beltre doesn’t make sense for a team that would be waiving the white flag and signaling their intent to compete with the White Sox and Royals for last place. I could see Cleveland getting Beltre if they keep the band together, BUT, they also have the pitching depth to get someone younger and better, like the aforementioned Nolan Arrenado for Kluber hypothetical trade, which only makes sense for Cleveland if they go out and sign or trade for a replacement in the rotation (Keuchel?) – something like that makes more sense for the long term than Belte for a year when there are upgrades available, one of which is named Josh Donaldson and would probably return if offered the right amount of money.
And then you mention the Yankees. It makes a bit of sense on paper, but why are we moving Andujar to first when he doesn’t necessarily solve the problem there? Luke Voit mashed after coming here and the job is his to lose at this point, why throw Andujar, the likely ROY, into the mix for the sake of adding a geezer for a year? Doing so effectively signals that the job belongs to Andujar, especially if he wins ROY, because you’re not sitting the reigning Rookie of the Year in favor of a relative unknown or a guy who hasn’t had a healthy season since college in Greg Bird. The Yankees need a long-term fix at first base, shifting Andujar across the diamond only creates the need for a long-term fix at third, something they don’t have right away unless it involves signing Machado to play short while Didi is out, moving Torres to third and either rolling the dice with Neil Walker at 2nd or giving Daniel Murphy a bunch of money to play one season in pinstripes, pad his numbers and hit the market again in a year with a .320 average and 40 homers as a product of the short porch in right.
These are all good in theory, but none of them are really a solid fit. Every team has bigger needs than 3b, except Boston.
About 6 weeks ago on here I asked an Astros troll what was wrong with Correa. I figured he was injured. The man is simply the best SS in MLB. Love watching him play.
Thanks for the article.
Very good young SS, but not the best in the game. He might be one day, but Simmons/Lindor were just better this year. Injury or not.
I think Samuel is alone in believing Correa is the best SS in MLB. He is good but not even in consideration for number 1
Boston has the worst third base production in the majors this year, they very much need to send down Devers and add one of Machado, Donaldson, or Beltre.